Initial in Different Languages
Discover 'Initial' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'initial' holds a special place in our lives, often serving as the starting point of many things. It is the first letter of a name, a word, or a phrase, and can signify the beginning of a journey, a story, or a new chapter. In many cultures, one's initial holds personal significance and can even be used as a symbol of identity.
Throughout history, initials have been used in various contexts, from medieval manuscripts to modern-day branding. In the digital age, initials have taken on a new importance as usernames, email addresses, and social media handles. Knowing the translation of 'initial' in different languages can be useful in many situations, from traveling abroad to connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.
For instance, the English word 'initial' translates to 'initiale' in French, 'Inital' in German, and 'inicial' in Spanish. These translations not only reflect linguistic differences but also highlight the cultural importance of initials across the globe.
In this article, we explore the significance and cultural importance of the word 'initial' and provide a list of translations in various languages. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or simply curious, this information is sure to enrich your understanding and appreciation of this simple yet powerful word.
Initial
Initial in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | aanvanklike | ||
| "Aanvanklike" means "initial", but can also mean "first" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | የመጀመሪያ | ||
| The word "የመጀመሪያ" can also mean "the first time" or "the first place". | |||
| Hausa | na farko | ||
| In Arabic, na farko means "at the beginning" or "in the first place". | |||
| Igbo | mbido | ||
| Igbo word "mbido" also means "beginning" and "source". | |||
| Malagasy | voalohany | ||
| The Malagasy word "voalohany" can also be used to refer to a type of dance. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | choyambirira | ||
| The word "choyambirira" is also used to refer to the first person in a group or the first thing in a series. | |||
| Shona | kutanga | ||
| Kutanga in Shona can also refer to the day's first milking, or the act of milking for the first time. | |||
| Somali | bilow ah | ||
| A bilow ah can also imply a beginning of a new year or a new era. | |||
| Sesotho | qalong | ||
| The word "qalong" in Sesotho can also refer to the beginning of a period of time. | |||
| Swahili | mwanzo | ||
| The word "mwanzo" in Swahili also means the beginning of a river or a source of a story. | |||
| Xhosa | yokuqala | ||
| Yokuqala as a noun in Xhosa refers to a beginning while as an adverb it describes a state of being ahead or first. | |||
| Yoruba | ibẹrẹ | ||
| The word "ibẹrẹ" in Yoruba can also mean "beginning" or "source". | |||
| Zulu | okokuqala | ||
| In Zulu, 'okokuqala' can also refer to 'the first time' or 'the beginning'. | |||
| Bambara | daminɛ | ||
| Ewe | gɔmedzeƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | intangiriro | ||
| Lingala | ebandeli | ||
| Luganda | ennyukuta z'amannya | ||
| Sepedi | tlhakaina | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ahyɛaseɛ | ||
Initial in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مبدئي | ||
| The word "مبدئي" can also mean "fundamental" or "of principle". | |||
| Hebrew | התחלתי | ||
| The word "התחלתי" can also mean "I started" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | لومړنی | ||
| The word "لومړنی" can also mean "first" or "primary" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | مبدئي | ||
| The word "مبدئي" can also mean "fundamental" or "of principle". | |||
Initial in Western European Languages
| Albanian | fillestare | ||
| The word "fillestare" originates from the Italian word "iniziale" and can also refer to "a small letter at the beginning of a word". | |||
| Basque | hasierakoa | ||
| "Hasierakoa" is not only used to refer to "initial" but also to "primordial". | |||
| Catalan | inicial | ||
| The word "inicial" in Catalan derives from Latin and can also mean "belonging to the core or essence". | |||
| Croatian | početni | ||
| The word 'početni' in Croatian derives from the Slavic root 'počęti', meaning 'to start' or 'to begin'. | |||
| Danish | initial | ||
| In Danish, "initial" ("initialer") can refer not only to the first letter of a name but also to the entire signature, or "underskrift". | |||
| Dutch | eerste | ||
| The word "eerste" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*ahistô" meaning "the foremost". | |||
| English | initial | ||
| "Initial" can also refer to an introductory musical theme that recurs in varying elaborations. | |||
| French | initiale | ||
| In French, the word "initiale" can also mean "capital letter" or "beginning of a work." | |||
| Frisian | earste | ||
| The word "earste" in Frisian is cognate with the Dutch word "eerste" and the German word "erste," both meaning "first." | |||
| Galician | inicial | ||
| Inicial in Galician retains its original Latin meaning of "beginning" beyond its everyday meaning of "initial", and can also mean "first fruits" or "income". | |||
| German | initiale | ||
| In German, "Initiale" can also refer to a large capital letter at the beginning of a book or chapter, called an "Initialbuchstabe". | |||
| Icelandic | upphaflega | ||
| In the 14th and 15th centuries, upphaflega was also used in the sense of 'beginning' ('byrjun') or 'source' ('uppruni') | |||
| Irish | tosaigh | ||
| The related Gaelic form, tòiseach, means 'chieftain' and is similar to the English word 'duke' from Latin dux, 'leader' | |||
| Italian | iniziale | ||
| In Italian, “iniziale” can refer to either the first letter of a word or to the small version of capital letters | |||
| Luxembourgish | initial | ||
| The word "initial" in Luxembourgish can also refer to the beginning or start of something. | |||
| Maltese | inizjali | ||
| The word "inizjali" in Maltese may also refer to an acronym or abbreviation. | |||
| Norwegian | første | ||
| "Første" means "first" in Norwegian, but is also the word for "initial" when written with a capital letter: "Første". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inicial | ||
| In Portuguese, "inicial" can also refer to a surname, a type of music or a type of dance. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tùsail | ||
| The word "tùsail" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to the beginning of a race or contest, or to a person's first attempt at something. | |||
| Spanish | inicial | ||
| The Spanish word "inicial" can also mean "main" or "fundamental." | |||
| Swedish | första | ||
| The word 'första' originally meant 'the first to come', hence it referred to time rather than order. | |||
| Welsh | cychwynnol | ||
| The etymology of "cychwynnol" is obscure, and it may also refer to the first verse of a hymn. | |||
Initial in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | пачатковы | ||
| In Polish, the word "początkowy" can also mean "elementary" or "basic". | |||
| Bosnian | početni | ||
| The word "početni" comes from the verb "početi", which means "to begin" or "to start." | |||
| Bulgarian | първоначална | ||
| The word "първоначална" can also mean "primordial" or "original" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | počáteční | ||
| The word "počáteční" also means "rudimentary" or "initial" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | esialgne | ||
| In Estonian, "esialgne" shares a similar root to "algus" (beginning), highlighting its origin as a starting point. | |||
| Finnish | alkukirjain | ||
| The word "alkukirjain" also means "a character found at the beginning of a word" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | a kezdeti | ||
| In Hungarian, "a kezdeti" not only means "initial" but also implies "the beginning" or "the first stage of something" | |||
| Latvian | sākotnējais | ||
| The word sākotnējais also means "primitive" or "elementary". | |||
| Lithuanian | pradinis | ||
| In Old Lithuanian, "pradinis" could also refer to something that was early, fresh, or immature. | |||
| Macedonian | почетна | ||
| The word "почетна" can also refer to a "honorary position" or a "welcome address" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | inicjał | ||
| In Polish, «inicjał» can also mean «capital letter». | |||
| Romanian | iniţială | ||
| The Romanian word "iniţială" is derived from the Latin word "initiālis", meaning "beginning" or "first". | |||
| Russian | начальный | ||
| The word "начальный" can also mean "basic" or "elementary" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | почетни | ||
| The word "почетни" can also mean "honorary" or "ceremonial" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | počiatočné | ||
| The word `počiatočné` shares its root with `počať`, meaning `to start` or `to originate`. | |||
| Slovenian | začetno | ||
| The adjective 'začetno' can also be used to describe something that is rudimentary or introductory. | |||
| Ukrainian | початковий | ||
| The Ukrainian word "початковий" can also be used to refer to the origin or source of something. | |||
Initial in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রাথমিক | ||
| "প্রাথমিক" can also mean 'chief', 'major', or 'important' in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રારંભિક | ||
| Hindi | प्रारंभिक | ||
| The word "प्रारंभिक" can also refer to a "preliminary report" or a "preliminary document". | |||
| Kannada | ಆರಂಭಿಕ | ||
| ಆರಂಭಿಕ refers to not only an initial or beginning, but also to a young student or beginner in a new activity. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രാരംഭ | ||
| It comes from the prepositions "pra" and "ārabha", together meaning "beginning" or "start" in Sanskrit. | |||
| Marathi | प्रारंभिक | ||
| "प्रारंभिक" (initial) is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रारंभ" (beginning), and literally means "of or relating to the beginning". It can also mean "preliminary" or "introductory". | |||
| Nepali | सुरुमा | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'sru' (to hear or learn) and 'ama' (beginning), it also signifies the beginning of knowledge or understanding. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආරම්භක | ||
| 'ආරම්භක' (initial) is derived from Sanskrit 'आरंभ' (beginning, origin) and is also used to mean 'originator, pioneer, initiator'. | |||
| Tamil | ஆரம்ப | ||
| The word "ஆரம்ப" can also mean "seed" or "origin" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రారంభ | ||
| The word "ప్రారంభ" in Telugu ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "प्रारम्भ" (prārambha), which means "beginning, commencement, or initiation." | |||
| Urdu | ابتدائی | ||
| ابتدائی means not only "initial" in Urdu, but also "primary", "rudimentary", and "elementary". | |||
Initial in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 初始 | ||
| Chinese "初始" means both "initial" and "original beginning," and is often used to refer to the original state or condition of something. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 初始 | ||
| 始 in 初始 is also a number used in Chinese arithmetic that equals 9, 90, 900, etc. based on its place in the string of digits. | |||
| Japanese | 初期 | ||
| "初期" literally means "early period" in Japanese, but it can also be used to describe the early stages of something, such as a disease or a relationship. | |||
| Korean | 머리 글자 | ||
| The word "머리 글자" literally translates to "head letter" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | эхний | ||
| The word "эхний" also means "first" or "primary" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကနဦး | ||
| The word "ကနဦး" (initial) is derived from the Mon-Khmer root "-nui" meaning "beginning". | |||
Initial in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | awal | ||
| The Javanese word "awal" can mean both "beginning" and "end". | |||
| Javanese | dhisikan | ||
| The word 'dhisikan' is also used to refer to a 'beginning' or 'start' of something. | |||
| Khmer | ដំបូង | ||
| The word "ដំបូង" also means "for the first time" or "originally" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ | ||
| Malay | awal | ||
| The Malay word "awal" can also refer to "origin", "beginning", or the "first part of something". | |||
| Thai | เริ่มต้น | ||
| เริ่มต้น' may also refer to starting, beginning, or a new start in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | ban đầu | ||
| The phrase "ban đầu" also means "from the beginning" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inisyal | ||
Initial in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ilkin | ||
| The word "ilkin" can also mean "first" or "beginning" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | бастапқы | ||
| "Бастапқы" (initial) in Kazakh is derived from the root "бас" (head), indicating the beginning or starting point. | |||
| Kyrgyz | баштапкы | ||
| *Bashtapky*: the first of a series, primary, headpiece | |||
| Tajik | ибтидоӣ | ||
| The word "ибтидоӣ" (initial) in Tajik can also mean "primitive" or "basic". | |||
| Turkmen | başlangyç | ||
| Uzbek | boshlang'ich | ||
| The Uzbek word "boshlang'ich" is derived from the Persian word "boshlang" meaning "beginning" or "start". | |||
| Uyghur | دەسلەپكى | ||
Initial in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomaka | ||
| "Hoʻomaka" also means "to begin" and "to start". | |||
| Maori | tuatahi | ||
| Tuatahi shares roots with words meaning 'head' and 'beginning' in other Polynesian languages. | |||
| Samoan | amataga | ||
| The word "amataga" can also mean "beginning" or "first". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pauna | ||
| The word "pauna" also means "first part" or "beginning" in Tagalog. | |||
Initial in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qallta | ||
| Guarani | ñepyrũ | ||
Initial in International Languages
| Esperanto | komenca | ||
| The Esperanto word "komenca" comes from the Latin "cominitiare," meaning "to begin." | |||
| Latin | initial | ||
| "Initial" comes from the Latin word "initialis," meaning "first letter of a name or word," or "beginning" | |||
Initial in Others Languages
| Greek | αρχικός | ||
| The word "αρχικός" has two distinct meanings in Greek: "initial" but also "original" | |||
| Hmong | thawj zaug | ||
| The word “thawj zaug” can also mean “firstly,” or “in the beginning.” | |||
| Kurdish | destpêkî | ||
| The term 'destpêkî', in Kurdish, refers to both an 'initial' point in time, and also a 'start' on a new project or undertaking | |||
| Turkish | ilk | ||
| In Turkish, the word "ilk" refers to both "first" and "initial" and is cognate with the Mongolian "elg" (initially). | |||
| Xhosa | yokuqala | ||
| Yokuqala as a noun in Xhosa refers to a beginning while as an adverb it describes a state of being ahead or first. | |||
| Yiddish | ערשט | ||
| The Yiddish word "ערשט" can also mean "only" or "recently". | |||
| Zulu | okokuqala | ||
| In Zulu, 'okokuqala' can also refer to 'the first time' or 'the beginning'. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰাৰম্ভিক | ||
| Aymara | qallta | ||
| Bhojpuri | शुरुआती | ||
| Dhivehi | ފުރަތަމަ | ||
| Dogri | मुंढला | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | inisyal | ||
| Guarani | ñepyrũ | ||
| Ilocano | inisial | ||
| Krio | fɔs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سەرەتایی | ||
| Maithili | शुरुआती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯍꯧꯕꯗ | ||
| Mizo | a tirah | ||
| Oromo | jalqaba | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରାରମ୍ଭିକ | ||
| Quechua | qallariy | ||
| Sanskrit | आरंभिक | ||
| Tatar | башлангыч | ||
| Tigrinya | መጀመሪ | ||
| Tsonga | masungulweni | ||